This, the first stereo recording of Ariadne has, in my opinion, been rather overlooked. Perhaps this is due to Erich Leinsdorf's conducting, which is rather matter-of-fact compared with some of the others. The prologue plods a little bit - the opening dialogue between the music master and the majordomo doesn't flow as well as it could, though this may be partly to do with Kurt Preger's approach to the speaking role, playing it totally dead pan and pronouncing his lines very deliberately.

Leinsdorf has an excellent cast. Sena Jurinac is a lovely composer. Her voice is very well suited to the role, having a warmth in the lower register which is necessary in a fairly low-lying role, and she sings with feeling whilst never lapsing into exaggeration. She is nicely matched by Walter Berry's mature, earnest music master and Murray Dickie's more-attractive-than-usual dancing master.

Leonie Rysanek has the wide range which a good Ariadne needs, and this is one of her best recorded performances, with intonation mostly good, and the tone full in all registers. When she sings her high Bs she is electrifying. She manages to sound nicely aghast as the primadonna too, and hers is one of the best Ariadnes on disc. Her Bacchus, Jan Peerce, is a little light for the role, but on a recording you have no difficulty in hearing him, and he brings a compensatory youthful tone and comparative lack of strain. Roberta Peters is a highly enjoyable Zerbinetta, with plenty of wit and a sweet, if slightly blank, tone in the stratosphere. She sometimes tends to rush in the ensembles, and I wish she had taken more time over her cadenzas - she hurtles through them as fast as she can instead of flirting with the listener as much as she could. Walter Berry is rather too dark and heavy as Harlekin - he sounds a bit on the sensible side.

The sound is absolutely excellent for the period. There are some subtle changes in perspective and a few unobtrusive stage noises to add to the sense of a performance. One minor irritation is what must be the worst side break on any available recording of the opera. It is never an easy to work to divide, but breaking immediately after Zerbinetta says 'Sie hebt auch nicht einmal den Kopf' is utterly ridiculous.